Method and apparatus for making books



March 1966 c. H. ROSENBERG METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING BOOKS Filed Feb. 2'7, 1963 INVENTOR. CHARLES H.ROSENBERG ATT RNEYS United States Patent 3,237,934 METHOD AND APPARATUS FUR MAKING BOOKS Charles H. Rosenberg, Box 2275, Tallahassee, Fla. Filed Feb. 27, 1963, Ser. No. 261,274 22 Claims. ((1 27l)53) This invention relates to the art of making books, and more particularly to making books or booklets consisting of single sewn signatures.

An object of the present invention is to provide a novel method of and apparatus for making books, such as booklets of the type adapted for use as trading stamp books.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel method of fabricating books automatically from a plurality of webs of sheet material, such as paper.

A further object is to provide a method of making single signature books and the like with increased speed at reduced cost.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of a novel, completely automatic and continuous process for converting rolls of web material into sewn signatures or books.

The above and further objects and novel features of the invention will more fully appear from the following detailed description when the same is read in connection with the accompanying drawing. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawing is for the purpose of illustration only and is not intended to define the limits of the invention, reference for this purpose being had primarily to the appended claims.

In the drawing, FIG. 1 is a schematic side elevation view illustrating one form of apparatus for carrying out the novel automatic method contemplated by the invention.

The novel method of the invention may be carried out by the use of known aparatuses novelly arranged and power operated in unison to cooperate in the manner schematically illustrated, by way of example, in the accompanying drawing. Said apparatus comprises a multiple roll or multiple web collator ill which mounts a plurality of rolls 11.2 of paper or other sheet material, collates the webs fed from the rolls in superposed or stacked relation, and feeds the collated webs continuously to a stitcher la. The single webs 16 forming the rolls 12 may be desirably printed on one or both sides in a web press (not shown) which is preferably provided with Teletype punching means for cutting or punching spaced perforations adjacent one or both edges of the webs to permit subsequent feeding and collating of a plurality of the webs in accurate register with each other. Each web is rewound on a roll as it issues from the press for subsequent mounting on the collator 10. The rolls may be mounted on a series of parallel unwind shafts 18, as shown, or the same may be located at one side of the collator on a common power driven unwind shaft and fed to the collating conveyor over right angle turning bars and suitable feed rolls in a manner known to the art.

The web from each roll 22 may be passed over one or more suitable feed rollers and laid down on an endless band conveyor 2% forming part of collator it The web 16 furthest to the right, as viewed in the drawing, is laid down in direct engagement with the conveyor band, and the webs to the left thereof are successively stacked thereon to form in effect a multi-ply web 22. The collating band conveyor 2t) may comprise a single endless band or one band which is fixed against transverse adjustment and a second hand which is transversely adjustable to make the conveyor capable of accomodating webs of different widths. Outwardly projecting pins 24 are provided 'ice at the edges of the conveyor band or hands, the same being suitably spaced to cooperate with the above-mentioned Teletype punched perforations adjacent the edges of the webs, and thus maintain the latter in perfect register with each other and the collating apparatus.

The uppermost web 16 of the plurality stacked on the collating conveyor band may be of different stock than the other webs to form a suitable cover for the booklets being formed. If desired, a suitable cylinder type imprinting unit (not shown) of known construction may be provided at the delivery end of the collator to print desired subject matter on successive sections of the cover web.

The stacked or multi-ply web 22 is delivered directly and continuously from the collating conveyor 2t) or from an interposed imprinting unit into gripper feed rolls 26, 27 at the entrance to the gang stitcher 14, which may be of any suitable known construction, such as a Bostitch or similar gang stapler. The multi-ply web 22 is fed by rollers 26, 27 onto a table or support 28 beneath a desired number of transversely arranged stitcher heads 3tl and thence, to the stitcher delivery feed rolls 32, 33. The rollers 26 and 32 are provided with radially projecting pins which have the same spacing as pins 24 on the collating conveyor and engage the perforations in the stacked webs to maintain mutual registry thereof with each other and the stitcher. Stitcher 14- operates periodically to apply a transverse series of staples or other suitable stitching across the width of the multi-ply web 22 at pre-selected intervals along the web at the centers of the longitudinal sections of the web which are to be subsequently severed and .folded into booklet form. The stitcher drive, which is not shown in detail but may be of known construction, is preferably so designed that the section of the web 22 between feed rollers 26 and 32 is momentarily stopped during each stitching operation and thereafter moved at a speed slightly in excess of the speed of the collating conveyor 20 to take up slack in the web ahead of the stitcher and create a suitable slack at the delivery end of the stitcher.

The stitched or sewn web 22 is now fed directly from stitcher delivery rolls 32, 33 to a unit comprising an endless band conveyor 34, edge trimming cutters 35, 37, gripper feed rolls or pull unit 38, 39, and a cut off-folding mechanism comprising three cylinders 40, 41, and 42. Booklets delivered by the latter mechanism may be laid down on an endless conveyor 44 in overlapped relation to be easily gathered therefrom by either manual or known mechanical means. If desired, this conveyor may be momentarily speeded up periodically in response to a booklet counter to separate the overlapped booklets into groups comprising a pre-determined number thereof.

Conveyor 34 may be, and preferably is, basically similar to collator conveyor 20 with outwardly projecting pins 45 at the edges thereof for registry and cooperation with the edge perforations in the web 22. Conveyor 34 is driven continuously at a speed which will avoid excess slack in the stitched web 22 between it and stitcher 14, and which will maintain accurate timing and registry of the web for the subsequent trimming and cutting operations. The pin band of conveyor 34 moves and maintains web 22 in a straight path and times its longitudinal movement for registry with the transverse cutters as on drum or cylinder 40, to thereby insure square cuts across the web on pre-determined lines half-way between successive rows of stitches.

After leaving conveyor 34, the web passes through the gripper pull unit comprising driven feed roller 38 and yieldable pressure roller 39. This feed or pull unit preferably exerts a slight pull on the web, resisted by conveyor 34, to maintain the web under slight tension. At a point between conveyor 34 and gripper pull unit 38, 39, a suitable known means may be provided for trimming the perforated edge portions off the moving web. In the form of apparatus shown, the edge trimming is accomplished by pairs of overlapping cutting discs 36, 37, but any suitable known type of trimming mechanism may be used.

The web 22 when thus trimmed may have the width equal to the desired length (top to bottom) of the booklets being produced, or if desired, the width of the web may be twice or several times the length of the shortest booklets being produced. In the latter event, the moving web may be longitudinally slit to permit simultaneously forming two or more booklets from each sewn section of the web and thereby greatly increase the production capability of the apparatus. The desired longitudinal slitting of the web into two or more widths and hence, two or more side-by-side webs, may be accomplished by overlapping disc cutters similar to and located between the pairs of edge trimming cutters 36, 37. A separate gripper pull unit is preferably provided for each of the resulting narrower webs. The grippers at opposite sides of the longitudinal center may in this case be slightly out of line so that the outermost webs gripped thereby will be slightly transversely separated from each other or from a center web which need not be deflected from its straight path.

The web or each of the webs moving side-by-side as the case may be is fed by a gripper feed or pull unit 38, 39 into the bite of rotating drums or cylinders 40 and 41, having circumferences which are multiples of the distance between the lines or rows of stitching across the web. In the illustrated embodiment, the interval between stitches is equal to one-half the circumference of each of said cylinders which are driven in the direction of the arrows. Drum or cylinder 40 is provided in a known manner with two diametrically disposed radially reciprocable pinch cut-off blades 46 which engage the upper surfaces of the web as it enters the bite of drums 40 and 41. These blades act against diametrically disposed anvils 48 on cylinder 41 to sever the moving web transversely from edge to edge and thus cut therefrom a longitudinal section to be folded into book form.

The conveyor 34 and the cut-off cylinders 40 and 41 are driven in timed relation so that the cutting blades 46 will transversely sever the web along lines one-half the distance between successive rows of stitches across the web. Adjacent each of the anvils 48 on cylinder 41 there is mounted a pivoted gripper 50 which is actuated in timed relation and in response to rotation of the cylinder to grip the leading edge of the web and hold it against anvil 48. Thus, as the web is continuously fed between cut-off cylinders 40 and 41, the leading portion or section thereof is held against and wrapped around one-half of the periphery of cylinder 41, while another cutting blade 46 moves into position to sever the web between the next rows of stitches or staples. At about the same time the gripper 50, then having reached the bottom of cylinder 41, releases the leading edge of the severed section of the web, and one of two oppositely disposed, radially reciprocable tuker blades 52 on cylinder 41 is actuated outwardly to press the severed section of the web outwardly along a central fold line containing the row of stitches and into the clamping jaws of grippers 54 carried by fold cylinder 42. There are two diametrically disposed pairs of gripper jaws 54 to cooperate with tucker blades 52. Upon further clockwise rotation of cylinder 42, as viewed in the drawing, while the severed end section of the web is gripped by jaws 54, said section is folded and released to fall onto conveyor 44 as a completed booklet. If desired, suitable stationary means may be provided for stripping each booklet from cylinder 42 as it is released by gripper jaws 54. The gripper 50 at the top of cylinder 41 is actuated to grip the leading edge of web 22 immediately after the cutting action of blade 46 and the folding cycle is repeated. Thus, if the original multi-ply web is slit into several narrower webs in the manner described, a plurality of booklets are simultaneously folded and dropped onto conveyor 44.

The entire apparatus, from the web collator 10 to delivery conveyor 44, for automatically performing the novel method of the invention may be driven by a suitable common source of power, such as an electric motor (not shown) through a series of gear boxes 56 connected to the source and to each other by a sectional line shaft 58. Suitable known types of driving connections are made from the several gear boxes to the collatcr 10, the stitcher 14, conveyor 34, the trimming and slitting cutters, gripper pull units 38, 39, the cut-off-folding cylinders and the delivery conveyor. If desired, provision may be made for varying the speed of operation of the various units of the apparatus in order to adapt the equipment for making books of different widths (folded edge to open edge). For this same purpose, the web cut-offfolder unit comprising cylinders 40, 41 and 42 may be removably mounted on the main frame to permit the mounting and use of other similar units having a larger number of cutters, grippers and tucker blades differently spaced on the cylinders.

There is thus provided a novel method of automatically fabricating sewn booklets at high speed from a plurality of webs of sheet material which may be pre-printed on one or both sides. Said method, which comprises the continuous feeding of the webs, collated into superposed registry from a plurality of rolls, has the advantages of large volume production at low cost with a minimum of equipment requiring a minimum of floor space and a minimum of manual labor and supervision.

Although only a single embodiment of apparatus, with a limited number of modifications, has been illustrated and described for carrying out the method of the invention, it is to be expressly understood that other comparable apparatuses, differing in specific detail, may be used. Various changes may also be made in the specific features of the method without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. The method of continuously automatically making sewn booklets from rolls of sheet material in web form which comprises the steps of simultaneously and continuously feeding sheet material from a plurality of rolls to form a fiat multi-layer web with the layers in predetermined longitudinal registry, continuously advancing said web longitudinally at a constant speed toward a stitching station while maintaining said registry and providing a slack length in said web in advance of said stitching station, momentarily advancing successive longitudinal sections of said web from said slack length into said stitching station at a speed in excess of said constant speed, momentarily arresting successive longitudinal sections of said web at the stitching station, applying a row of stitches transversely across the center of each said section while it is arrested, momentarily advancing successive stitched sections from the stitching station at said speed in excess of said constant speed and creating a slack length in said web at the delivery end of said stitching station, continuously advancing the web of stitched sections from said last-mentioned slack length at said constant speed, successively severing each of said sections from the leading end of the web as it is continuously advanced, and continuing the advance of each severed section ahead of the web without interruption while automatically folding said severed section along the transverse row of stitches therein.

2. Apparatus for making folded booklets or the like from sheet material in web form comprising first conveyor means for continuously advancing a plurality of superposed webs of material as a single multi-layer web at a constant speed, second conveyor means comprising spaced drive rollers, means for driving said rollers intermittently for intermittently advancing the multi-layer web continuously delivered by said first conveyor means at an average speed equal to said constant speed and for momentarily arresting successive longitudinal sections of the multi-layer web between said drive rollers, whereby a slack length is created in said multi-layer web at each end of said second conveyor means, means for stitching the layers of the multi-layer Web together in each said section while it is thus arrested, and third conveyor means for continuously advancing the stitched web delivered by said second conveyor means.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 2 comprising means for successively severing the stitched sections from the leading end of the continuously advancing m ulti-layer web.

4. Apparatus as defined in claim 3 comprising means for continuously advancing each said severed section ahead of the multi-layer web while automatically folding said section along the stitching applied by said stitching means.

5. Apparatus for making folded booklets or the like from sheet material in web form comprising first conveyor means for continuously advancing superposed webs of material as a single multi-layer web at a constant speed, stitching means for applying stitches across said rnulti-layer web, second conveyor means comprising spaced intermittently operated drive rollers for receiving said multilayer web from said first conveyor means and intermittently advancing the same to and away from said stitching means at a speed in excess of said constant speed, whereby a slack length is created in said web at each end of said second conveyor means and successive longitudinal sections of the multi-layer web are successively momentarily arrested between said drive rollers While the layers of each arrested section are stitched together by said stitching means along a transverse line, and third conveyor means for continuously advancing at said constant speed the stitched web delivered from said second conveyor means.

'6. Apparatus for making folded booklets from sheet material in web form having longitudinally spaced perforations comprising first conveyor means having pins projecting through said perforations for feeding a plurality of webs of material into superposed registered relation and continuously advancing the superposed webs as a single multi-layer web at a constant speed, second conveyor means having pins projecting through said perforations, means for driving said second conveyor means intermittently for intermittently advancing the mul-ti-layer web delivered by said first conveyor means at an average speed equal to said constant speed and for momentarily arresting successive longitudinal sections of the multi-layer Web, whereby a slack length is created in said web at each end of said second conveyor means, means for stitching each said section while it is thus arrested, third conveyor means having pins projecting through sid perforations for continuously advancing at said constant speed the mulit-layer web delivered from said second conveyor means, means for severing successive leading end sections from said multi-layer web as it continuously advances from the delivery end of said third conveyor means, means for folding each such severed end section while continuously advancing it at said constant speed ahead of the remaining continuously advancing multi-layer web.

7. Apparatus as defined in claim 6 comprising drive rollers for advancing said 'multi-laye-r Web between said third conveyor means and said severing means.

8. Apparatus as defined in claim 7 comprising means positioned between said third conveyor means and said drive rollers for slitting said advancing multi-layer web longitudinally.

9. Apparatus for making folded booklets and the like from a multi-layer webhaving longitudinally spaced perforations comprising first and second endless conveyors in spaced end-to-end relation, each having pins for engaging the perforations in said web and advancing said web longitudinally at a constant speed with a slack length between said conveyor means, other conveyor means engaging the perforations in said slack length of the web for intermittently speeding up successive longitudinal sections of said web and momentarily arresting each said section in a predetermined position, and means for applying a row of stitches transversely across each said section While the same is thus arrested.

10. Apparatus as defined in claim 9 comprising means including gripper means for engaging the leading end portion of said web and continuously advancing the same from the delivery end of said second conveyor means.

11. Apparatus as defined in claim 10 comprising means for cutting said stitched sections from the leading end of the Web while the web is being advanced by said gripper means.

12. Apparatus as defined in claim 11 comprising means for advancing each such severed section ahead of the web and folding the same along the transverse row of stitches therein.

13. The method of making folded booklets automatically from sheets of material in web form having repeat patterns printed thereon which comprises simultaneously feeding a plurality of said sheets into stacked relation with the patterns thereon in registry to form a multi-layer web, continuously advancing said multi-layer web in a longitudinal direction to a stitcher, momentarily successively arresting only successive pattern sections of a slack length of the advancing web, applying a transverse row of stitches across each said section while it is arrested, cutting the stitched web as it continuously advances on a transverse line between the printed patterns thereon to sever an end section from the web, and continuously advancing said severed end section ahead of the remaining continuously advancing multi-layer web while simultaneously folding the severed end section on the line of stitching thereon to form a booklet.

14. The method of making folded booklets as defined in claim 13 from sheets of material having spaced perforations in at least one marginal edge portion thereof in predetermined registry with said printed patterns Which comprises maintaining the advancing multi-layer web in timed relation with the stitching and cutting means by conveyor means having pins cooperating with the perforations in said web.

115. The method of making folded booklets which includes continuously advancing to a stitcher a multi-ply web comprising superposed layers of sheet material in web form, momentarily successively arresting only successive longitudinal sections of a slack length of the advancing web, applying a transverse row of stitches across each said section while it is arrested to secure the layers thereof together, simultaneously continuously advancing and cutting the stitched web transversely between successive rows of stitches to sever leading end sections therefrom, and automatically folding each severed end section along the row of stitches therein to form a folded booklet as said section is continuously advanced ahead of the continuously advancing web.

16. A method of making folded booklets as defined in claim 15 which comprises longitudinally slitting the advancing stitched web before the transverse cutting thereof.

17. The method of making folded booklets as defined in claim 16 which comprises maintaining under longitudinal tension the portion of the web being slit.

1%. A method of making booklets as defined in claim 15 which comprises positively maintaining the layers of said web in pre-deterrnined registry with each other.

19. A method of making booklets which comprises continuously feeding webs of sheet material from a plurality of rolls and laying the same down on a continuously moving band conveyor in superposed relation in transverse and longitudinal registry to form a multi-ply Web, continuously feeding said multi-ply web to a stitcher, periodically momentarily arresting successive sections of a slack length of said multi-ply Web while the stitcher applies a row of stitching transversely across the arrested section to sew the multi-ply web at pre-determined intervals along the length thereof, continuously feeding the stitched web beyond the stitcher onto a pin band conveyor, maintaining the advancing web under longitudinal tension between the delivery end of said pin band conveyor and a gripper pull unit for the web, continuously feeding the web from said unit between cut-01f cylinders and between folding cylinders in succession, transversely cutting the continuously moving web between said cut-01f cylinder-s at pre-determined longitudinal intervals to sever end sections therefrom, tucking and gripping the severed section along the row of stitches therein as the severed section is continuously advanced between said folding cylinders, and laying the folded sections down on a delivery conveyor.

20. Apparatus for making folded booklets from sheet material in web form comprising means for feeding a plurality of webs of said material into superposed relation and continuously advancing the superposed webs as a single multi-ply web, means for periodically momentarily arresting successive intermediate sections of a slack length of said advancing multi-ply web, means for applying a transverse row of stitches to said arrested section, cutting means for transversely cutting end sections from said advancing m-ulti-ply web, means for timing the feeding of the multi-ply web beyond the stitching means with said cutting means so the severed end sections will be of uni- 8. form length, and means for folding each severed end section while continuously advancing it ahead of the advancing stitched sections of the multi-ply web.

21. Apparatus as defined in claim 20 wherein said feeding means comprises a pin band conveyor adapted to cooperate with perforations in said webs to maintain the same in registry with each other.

22. Apparatus as defined in claim 20 wherein said timing means comprises a pin band conveyor adapted to cooperate with perforations in said multi-ply web and a gripper pull unit for maintaining the web under longitudinal tension at the delivery end of said conveyor.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,021,325 3/1912 Morgan 27037 1,489,833 4/ 1924 Keller 2704 1,554,355 9/1925 Kellogg 101288 2,209,692 7/1940 Fulk 27052 2,800,325 7/1957 Burgmer 27052 2,869,864 1/1959 Burgmer 27052 3,027,160 3/1962 Witt 27052 JEROME SCHNALL, Primary Examiner.

ROBERT E. PULFREY, WILLIAM B. PENN,

EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Examiners.

NELSON M. ELLISON, Assistant Examiner. 

1. THE METHOD OF CONTINUOUSLY AUTOMATICALLY MAKING SEWN BOOKLETS FROM ROLLS OF SHEET MATERIAL IN WEB FORM WHICH COMPRISED THE STEPS OF SIMULTANEOUSLY AND CONTINUOUSLY FEEDING SHEET MATERIAL FROM A PLURALITY OF ROLLS TO FORM A FLAT MULTI-LAYER WEB WITH THE LAYERS IN PREDETERMINED LONGITUDINAL REGISTRY, CONTINUOUSLY ADVANCING SAID WEB LONGITUDINALLY AT A CONSTANT SPEED TOWARD A STITCHING STATION, WHILE MAINTAINING SAID REGISTRY AND PROVIDING A SLACK LENGTH IN SAID WEB IN ADVANCE OF SAID STITCHING STATION, MOMENTARILY ADVANCING SUCCESSIVE LONGITUDINAL SECTIONS OF SAID WEB FROM SAID SLACK LENGTH INTO SAID STITCHING STATION AT A SPEED IN EXCESS OF SAID CONSTANT SPEED, MOMENTARILY ARRESTING SUCCESSIVE LONGITUDINAL SECTIONS OF SAID WEB AT THE STITCHING STATION, APPLYING A ROW OF STITCHES TRANSVERSELY ACROSS THE CENTER OF EACH SAID SECTION WHILE IT IS ARRESTED, MOMENTARILY ADVANCING SUCCESSIVE STITCHED SECTIONS FROM THE STITCHING STATION AT SAID SPEED IN EXCESS OF SAID CONSTANT SPEED AND CREATING A SLACK LENGTH IN SAID WEB AT THE DELIVERY END OF SAID STITCHING STATION, CONTINUOUSLY ADVANCING THE WEB OF STITCHED SECTIONS FROM SAID LAST-MENTIONED SLACK LENGTH AT SAID CONSTANT SPEED, SUCCESSIVELY SEVERING EACH OF SAID SECTIONS FROM THE LEADING END OF THE WEB AS IT IS CONTINUOUSLY ADVANCED, AND CONTINUING THE ADVANCE OF EACH SEVERED SECTION AHEAD OF THE WEB WITHOUT INTERRUPTION WHILE AUTOMATICALLY FOLDING SAID SEVERED SECTION ALONG THE TRANSVERSE ROW OF STITCHES THEREIN. 